John Howard Marsden (7 May 1803 – 24 January 1891) was an English cleric and academic. He was an
antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
and became in 1851 the first
Disney Professor of Archaeology
The Disney Professorship of Archaeology is an endowed chair in archaeology at the University of Cambridge. It was endowed by John Disney in 1851 with a donation of £1,000, followed by a further £2,500 bequest upon his death in 1857.
Disney Pro ...
at the University of Cambridge.
Life
The eldest son of William Marsden, curate of St. George's Chapel,
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...
, and later vicar of
Eccles, he was born at Wigan. He was admitted on 6 August 1817 to
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) in Manchester, England, is the largest independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1515 as a Grammar school#free tuition, free grammar school next to Manchester C ...
, and was head scholar in 1822.
Marsden gained an
exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition ...
from his school to
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...
, where he was elected a scholar on the Somerset foundation. In 1823 he won the Bell university scholarship.
He graduated B.A. in 1826, with a first class in the classics tripos. He became M.A. in 1829, and B.D. in 1836.
Marsden was select preacher to the university in 1834, 1837, and 1847. He was Hulsean lecturer on divinity in 1843 and 1844, and was from 1851 to 1865 the first Disney Professor of archaeology.
The Professor's duties were to give one lecture per year.
In 1840 Marsden was presented by his college to the rectory of
Great Oakley, Essex
Great Oakley is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England. It is a long, narrow parish lying on the top of a low (25 m) ridge south of Ramsey Creek which drains northeast towards Harwich. The parish extends south to Oa ...
, which he held for 49 years, resigning it in 1889 for health reasons. He also held for some years the rural deanery of
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...
. Having been elected canon residentiary of Manchester in 1858, he became rural dean of the deanery of Eccles, and he was one of the chaplains of
James Prince Lee
James Prince Lee (28 July 1804 – 24 December 1869) was an English clergyman and schoolmaster who became head master of King Edward's School, Birmingham, and was later the first Bishop of Manchester.
Early life
Born in London, Lee was educate ...
, first
bishop of Manchester
The Bishop of Manchester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in the Province of York.'' Crockford's Clerical Directory 2008/2009 (100th edition)'', Church House Publishing ().
The current bishop is David Walker who ...
.
Marsden died at his residence, Grey Friars,
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
, on 24 January 1891.
Works
Marsden's works included:
*''The Sacred Tree, a Tale of Hindostan'', privately printed, London, 1840.
*''Philomorus, a Brief Examination of the Latin Poems of Sir Thomas More'', London, 1842.
*''An Examination of certain Passages in Our Lord's Conversation with Nicodemus'', eight Hulsean lectures, London, 1844.
*''The Evils which have resulted at various times from a Misapprehension of Our Lord's Miracles'', eight Hulsean discourses, London, 1845.
*''College Life in the Reign of James I'', based on the autobiography of
Sir Symonds D'Ewes
Sir Simonds d'Ewes, 1st Baronet (18 December 1602 – 18 April 1650) was an English antiquary and politician. He was bred for the bar, was a member of the Long Parliament and left notes on its transactions. D'Ewes took the Puritan side in the Ci ...
, London, 1851.
*''Two Introductory Lectures upon Archaeology, delivered in the University of Cambridge'', Cambridge, 1852.
*''A Descriptive Sketch of the Collection of Works of Ancient Greek and Roman Art at Felix Hall'', in "Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society", 1863.
*''Fasciculus'', London, 1869, light verse.
Two works were connected to a claimed relationship with
William Marsden (1754–1836), who had made John Howard Marsden his heir. The Rev. William Marsden, John Howard Marsden's father, and William Marsden (1754–1836) were both identified with the extended family "Marsden of Manchester and Chelmorton".
*''History of the Gentlemen's Society at Spalding'', London, 1849. William Marsden (1754–1836) was a member of the
Spalding Gentlemen's Society
The Spalding Gentlemen's Society is a learned society based in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, concerned with cultural, scientific and antiquarian subjects. It is Britain's oldest such provincial body, founded in 1710 by Maurice Johnson (1688 ...
.
*''A Brief Memoir of the Life and Writings of Lieutenant-Colonel William Martin Leake, F.R.S.'', privately printed, London, 1864, on
William Martin Leake
William Martin Leake (14 January 17776 January 1860) was an English military man, topographer, diplomat, antiquarian, writer, and Fellow of the Royal Society. He served in the British military, spending much of his career in the
Mediterrane ...
. Leake had married Elizabeth, daughter of
Sir Charles Wilkins. She was the widow of William Marsden (1754–1836).
In 1829 Marsden gained the
Seatonian Prize
The Seatonian Prize is awarded by the University of Cambridge for the best English poem on a sacred subject. This prize has been awarded annually since 1750 and is open to any Master of Arts of the university. Lord Byron referred to this prize in ...
, the subject of the poem being ''The Finding of Moses'', Cambridge, 2nd edit. 1830. He published also sermons preached at
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, in Manchester, England, is the mother church
Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother ...
, Colchester, and Cambridge, 1835 to 1845.
Family
Marsden married in 1840 Caroline, elder daughter of William Moore, D.D., prebendary of Lincoln. They had three sons:
*William (1841–1925), army officer, married in 1873 Katharine Murray, daughter of B. Rigby Murray, of Parton.
*Maurice Howard (1843–1920), cleric, married in 1873 Frances Maria Simpson, daughter of the Rev. S. Simpson, of Lancaster.
*Reginald Godfrey (1845–1927), barrister, married 1874 Edrica Jane Cowling, daughter of John Cowling.
Notes
External links
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsden, John
1803 births
1891 deaths
19th-century English Anglican priests
People educated at Manchester Grammar School
Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge
Disney Professors of Archaeology
English antiquarians